Deshaun Watson Rumors: Texans Have Not Held 'Serious' Contract Talks with QB Yet

The Houston Texans and Deshaun Watson have held "no serious talks" regarding a new contract, according to NFL insider Josina Anderson.

Anderson added that Watson isn't in a rush to sign a new deal.

Adam Schefter reported Kansas City Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes agreed to a 10-year extension with the Kansas City Chiefs that could be worth up to $503 million. With Mahomes off the board, the focus has shifted to Watson, who's eligible for free agency in 2022.

Per Schefter, Mahomes' base contract is for $450 million over 10 years, so his $45 million average salary makes him the highest-paid player in the NFL. The title previously belonged to Seattle Seahawks star Russell Wilson, who receives $35 million annually on average.

Texans star JJ Watt alluded to how his teammate is about to get paid in a big way:

Matching or eclipsing Mahomes' $45 million figure will be tough, though.

Mahomes' record-breaking deal speaks to how exceptional he has been through his first three years. He threw for 5,097 yards and 50 touchdowns en route to winning MVP in 2018. Then he helped lead the Chiefs to the Super Bowl.

Watson was limited to seven games as a rookie before reaching back-to-back Pro Bowls in 2018 and 2019. Over the past two seasons, he has thrown for 8,017 yards and 52 touchdowns while completing 67.8 percent of his passes.

While he isn't quite at Mahomes' level, the Texans have every reason to believe Watson is their franchise QB going forward.

Houston still has time to hammer out the details of an extension ahead of the 2022 season, but the front office shouldn't take a new deal as a given.

The Dallas Cowboys' stalemate with Dak Prescott over a new contract illustrates that fact perfectly. The Cowboys used the exclusive franchise tag on Prescott, which will pay him $31.4 million in 2020. Tagging him again in 2021 would be even more expensive, while Mahomes' deal could potentially increase Prescott's demands.

Playing the waiting game with Watson is unlikely to save the Texans any money, so it's probably better to get things ironed out sooner rather than later.